Tracking Keto Macros: Myfitnesspal Made Easy

MyFitnessPal is a popular app for tracking calories, exercise, and measurements such as weight, hips, and legs. It is also useful for those on a keto diet, which involves tracking macronutrients (macros) such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat. To set up MyFitnessPal for keto, users should adjust their nutrient goals to track carbs, protein, fat, fiber, and sugar. They should also adjust their macronutrient goals to achieve a daily intake of around 5–10% carbohydrates, 20–30% protein, and 65–75% fat. Additionally, it is important to note that MyFitnessPal does not calculate net carbs, so users may need to use a workaround or a different app to track net carbs accurately.

Setting up your MyFitnessPal account for keto

To set up your MyFitnessPal account for keto, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create an account

Go to www.myfitnesspal.com and create an account.

Step 2: Set your macros

• Go to 'My Home'.
• Click on 'Goals'.
• Click on 'Change Goals'.
• Select 'Custom' and hit 'Continue'.
• Set your macros for keto: carbs to 5%, protein to 30%, and fat to 65%.

Step 3: Set your total calories

Set the total calories relative to your total burn. MyFitnessPal's estimate is decent, but you can adjust it up or down according to your preference.

Step 4: Add additional measurements (optional)

• Click on 'Change Measurements'.
• Add as many measurements as you like. Recommended measurements include neck, waist, hips, thigh, chest, and arms.

Step 5: Add fiber as a tracking column

Under 'Nutrients Tracked', add 'Fiber'. At a minimum, you should be tracking carbs, fiber, fat, and protein.

Step 6: Install a script for net carbs (optional)

If you want to see net carbs in your MyFitnessPal account, you will need to install a script. Go to https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript and install the script. Note that you will also need to install Greasemonkey (for Firefox) or Tampermonkey (for Chrome) first.

By following these steps, you will have a MyFitnessPal account that is customised for keto and will help you track your keto macros and progress.

Tracking your keto macros

To track your keto macros, you can use the MyFitnessPal app, a tracker where you can log the nutritional values of all the food you consume.

Setting up your MyFitnessPal account

First, create an account at www.myfitnesspal.com. Then, set your macros properly:

• My Home -> Goals -> Change Goals
• Select Custom and hit continue
• Set the Macros for keto: Carbs to 5%, Protein to 30% and Fat to 65%
• Set the total calories relative to your total burn. For example, if your BMR is 2620 and your goal is 2000, that's a 620 deficit per day x 7 days = 4340 Calorie deficit. A pound is 3500 Calories, so this equates to a setup to burn 1.24 pounds a week. You can adjust yours up or down according to preference.
• Add Additional Measurements: Click Change Measurements and add as many measurements as you would like. Recommended measurements include Neck, Waist, Hips, Thigh, Chest, and Arms.
• Add fiber as a tracking column: Under Nutrients tracked, add Fiber. You should have listed at minimum Carbs, Fiber, Fat and Protein.

Using a script to calculate net carbs

MyFitnessPal doesn't offer a feature to display daily net carbs. However, there is a workaround, although it only works on the desktop version of MyFitnessPal. You will need to run a script on your MyFitnessPal account.

Step 1: Install a program to run the script

Download an extension that can run the script on your MyFitnessPal settings. For Chrome, Safari, or Firefox users, download Tampermonkey. Once you download it, add it to your web browser as an extension.

Step 2: Double-check your settings in MyFitnessPal

Click the ‘Settings’ link at the top and ensure your nutrient goals are correct. You should be tracking:

• Calories
• Carbs
• Fat
• Protein
• Fiber
• Sugar
• Cholesterol

Use the drop-down arrows to change these nutrients and then scroll down until you see ‘Save Changes.' Click that to update your account.

Step 3: Download the script

Download the script you’re going to run on MFP, using the Tampermonkey program. You can find that download link on this page: https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript.

Step 4: Drag the script into Tampermonkey

Open Tampermonkey so you can drop the script file right in. Click the extension on your web browser, click the plus (+) sign to add the script file, and then drag the file you downloaded from GitHub onto the line of code that says "// Your code here...". If it downloaded as a .zip file, you’ll have to unzip it and drag the file that ends in .user.js.

Step 5: Assign the URL

For this script to work, you need to assign the URL that’s going to use it. Copy and paste this URL into that box:

Http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

Step 6: Check your MyFitnessPal account

Switch over to your MyFitnessPal tab to see if everything installed correctly. You’ll know if that’s the case when you see the Net Carbs column.

Troubleshooting

If you don't see the Net Carbs column, there are a few areas you can check:

• Check that you copied the entire script over, put the script in the right place, and added the correct URL.
• Check that you saved your work.
• Check that you have the script and Tampermonkey enabled.
• Try creating a new script altogether.

Adding fibre as a tracking column

To add fibre as a tracking column, first log in to your MyFitnessPal account and click on 'My Home' and then 'Goals'. From there, click on 'Change Goals' and select 'Custom' before hitting 'Continue'.

Now, set your macros for keto: carbs to 5%, protein to 30%, and fat to 65%. Set the total calories relative to your total burn. For example, if your BMR is 2620 and your goal is 2000, that's a 620 deficit per day.

Next, click on 'Change Measurements' and add as many measurements as you would like to track. Neck, waist, hips, thigh, chest, and arms are all recommended.

Now, to add fibre as a tracking column, go to 'Diary Settings' and, under 'Nutrients Tracked', add Fibre. You should have listed, at minimum, Carbs, Fibre, Fat, and Protein. These are the most important macros to track for keto.

Once you've added Fibre, you can also add any other nutrients you would like to track. For example, you could add Potassium or Sugar.

Now that you've added Fibre as a tracking column, you can start using MyFitnessPal to track your keto macros and ensure you're meeting your fibre goals.

Running a keto-friendly script on MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a popular calorie-counting website and app that can be used to track the number of calories and macronutrients in the food you consume. It is a great tool for those on a keto diet as it helps them stay within their daily carb limit.

However, the app does not come with a net carb counter, only displaying the total carb count. This can be misleading as net carbs are what matter on a keto diet, and these are calculated by subtracting the fibre intake from the total carb count.

Fortunately, there is a workaround for this issue, which involves running a script on your MyFitnessPal account. This will allow you to see your net carbs on the desktop version of the app.

Step 1: Install a Program to Run the Script

First, download an extension that can run the script on your MyFitnessPal settings. For Chrome, Safari, or Firefox users, this will be Tampermonkey. Once you have downloaded it, add it to your web browser as an extension.

Step 2: Double-Check Your Settings in MyFitnessPal

Sign into your MyFitnessPal account and click on 'Settings'. You should see a list of the nutrients you are tracking. Make sure that you are tracking the following:

• Calories
• Carbs
• Fat
• Protein
• Fiber
• Sugar

Step 3: Download the Script

Next, download the script that you are going to run on MFP using the Tampermonkey program. You can find the download link here: https://github.com/Surye/mfp-keto-userscript.

Step 4: Drag the Script Into Tampermonkey

Open Tampermonkey and click on the plus (+) sign to add the script file you downloaded. Where it says "// Your code here...", drag the file you downloaded from GitHub right onto this line of code. If the file is a .zip file, you will need to unzip it first and then drag the file that ends in .user.js.

Step 5: Head Back to MyFitnessPal

Switch back to your MyFitnessPal tab and refresh the page. You will know that the script has been installed correctly when you see the 'Net Carbs' column.

Troubleshooting

If you do not see the 'Net Carbs' column, check that you have:

• Copied the entire script over
• Put the script in the right place
• Added the correct URL
• Saved your work

Also, make sure that you have the script and Tampermonkey enabled.

MyFitnessPal Keto Tracking Tips

• To achieve nutritional ketosis, adjust your MyFitnessPal macronutrient goals to achieve a daily intake of 70-75% fat, 15-20% protein, and 5-10% calories from carbohydrates.
• Transitioning to a ketogenic lifestyle can be challenging at first, and you may experience low energy, crankiness, and foggy thinking. This feeling should pass within a few days to a few weeks.
• Remember that a ketogenic diet is not a high-protein diet. Consuming too much protein may shift you out of a state of ketosis as the body can convert excess protein into carbohydrates.
• Make sure your intake of fat is balanced between plant-based sources and animal fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and coconut, along with fatty fish.
• Before transitioning to a ketogenic way of eating, ask yourself if you can make this a long-term lifestyle change rather than a quick fix.

Troubleshooting the script

• If you're unable to view the script, try using a different web browser.
• Ensure you have the correct columns set up in MyFitnessPal: Fat, Protein, Carbs, Net Carbs, and Fibre.
• If you're still having issues, try reinstalling the script.
• Check that you have the script and Tampermonkey enabled.
• If you're using Chrome, try installing the previous version as the newest version may break the script.
• If you're using Firefox, ensure you have Greasemonkey installed.
• If you're using Safari, install the Tampermonkey extension.
• If you're still unable to get the script to work, try starting over by creating a new script.

Frequently asked questions